Deep well whipstock



March 20, 1934. c. WALKER DEEP WELL WHIPSTOCK Filed Jan. 9, 1933 atented Application Jan 9, 1933, w i

This invention pertains to deep well drilling tools and particularly to that tool known in the drilling art as awhipstock.

The object of the invention is to improve the g character of the whipstock so that it may be more readily positioned in the bore in the proper oriented position and be anchored there securely and permanently. By the present practice the whipstock. is lowered into the bore and set in n position in cement. As it requires several days for the cement to set, it is obvious that a bothersome delay is-caused. As the bore contains mud and usually oil, it is obvious that the setting of the cement is more or less uncertain. By the present invention I provide means for setting the whipstock rapidly, properly oriented and permanently. and in such a firm manner that the danger of its coming loose during subsequent operations in the bore are overcome.

One form which the invention may take is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. Figure 2 is across section through 1III. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section at 90 degrees to Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail of the the whipstock in the bore.

Figure 5 shows the cross section of the whipstock at the tapered section of the whipstock.

In the various views 9 is a percussion weight.

10 is the well casing. 11 is the body of the whipstock. 12 is the inclined surface oi the whipstock. 13 is a breech block. 1% is one a of a plurality of cap screws for locking the breech block in position. 15 is a firing pin. 16 is a firing pin spring. 17 is a spring retaining nut.

18 is a cartridge. 19 is gun powder. 20 and 20a are transverse cylindrical openings in the body of the whipstock. 21 is a casing penetrating lug 40 attached in an integral unit with a piston. 22 is a gyroscope rotor mounted in a conventional gimbal 23. 27 is the concave surface of the tapered section of the whipstock.

The operation of the device would be about 45 as follows:

The lugs would be positioned in the transverse cylinders, the breech block and firing pin would be removed, and a. charge of gun powder or other explosive would be poured into the breech to fill the space between the pistons and the chambers adjacent. Then a shell, say a 12 gage shot gun shell, loaded only with powder and well rammed, wadded an crimped, would be positioned as shown in Figure 1. The firing pin and breech block would next be positioned and the device for orienting 1w. 2m: Calif. v

breech block securely cap screwed to the body of the whipstock. Now loaded and with the gyroscope put in motion, the whipstock would be oriented at the surface into the position desired when fixed in the bore, and be lowered in the bore on a cable. The gyroscope which constantly resists torsion of the whipstock will prevent the whipstock from rotating while the same is being lowered into position so that it may be expected to arrive at its desired location in the bore in the same oriented position as that in which it started down the bore. When lowered into its proper position. the percussion weight is lowered into the hole to a position just above the firing pin knob. When all is ready the percussion weight is dropped onto the firing weight and the lugs will be shot through the casing securely and permanently locldng it in that position. The desired number, size and length of the lugs, and the amount of explosive to be used will depend on the diameter and thickness of the casing. It would be preferable to have an even number of pistons with lugs with the explosive pressure between them whereby to force them in opposite diametrical directions through the casing. The number required would be determined by experience but I would say that 2 or 4 would be sufiicient and these would be positioned in the cylindrical portion of the whipstock below the tapered section as is shown in Fig. 1 wherein I show 4 pistons with lug 20, 20a and 21. The firing pin would be of no further use after the explosion as the whipstock would then be permanently-set in the casing after which it would be milled oil by the casing mill. Its small diameter would offer no dimculty with the mill. The magnitude of the gyroscope rotor and its necessary speed of rotation to be found necessary to prevent the whipstock from rotating while being lowered into position will depend on the weight of the whipstock. the size of the casing, and the depth of the bore.

Various means may be employed to spin the rotor of the gyroscope such for instance as applying a blast of steam or compressed air through the opening in the housing adjacent to the rotor tangent to the rotor outer diameter, or an electric motor driven by storage gattery contained within the whipstock. housing or from a source of electric energy at the surface conducted to the whipstock by a flexible duplex electric cable. The gyroscope may be housed in a water tight tube attached to the lower end of the whipstock. While I have shown the lugs as penetrating the casing by means 01 a blast of explosive substance it is obvious that other means might be employed to drive the lugs through the casing and I would not want to be limited to this one particular method of penetration.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A whipstock having lugs mounted thereon and means for penetrating through the casing walls with said lugs whereby to lock the whipstock firmly inside the well casing.

2. A whipstock carrying lugs capable of radial outward movement, means to penetrate the casing walls with said lugs, said means including an explosive substance, means to explode said explosivesubstance and means to apply the pres= sure of explosion to the lugs whereby to shoot them through the casing walls whereby to lock the whipstock within the casing. 4

3. A whipstock having transverse diametric cylindrical openings therethrough, pairs of pistons with penetrating'lugs mounted in said cylindrical openings with the penetration lugs pointed outwardiy, an explosive substance between said pairs of pistons, means to explode said explosive where- 'by to penetrate the casing walls with said lugs for the purpose of securely locking the whipstock within the well casing.

4. A whipstock with a gyroscope mounted therein to resist the torsional rotation of said 'whipstock while being lowered into the bore on a cable.

CLINTON L. WALKER. 

